Siemens Healthineers on Tuesday inaugurated the new manufacturing facility for Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines at Bengaluru. The company will currently manufacture MAGNETOM Free.Star, a disruptively simple approach to high-quality MRI in India, Siemens said in a statement.

The new facility is approved under the Radiology and Imaging Medical devices segment of the Production Linked Incentive (‘PLI’) Scheme by the Government of India (GoI) and the Department of Pharmaceuticals (‘DoP’)

“We have always believed in holistic growth and this encouragement from the Government is consistently fueling our ambitions. With the expansion of our manufacturing footprint in India, we are thrilled to be able to contribute even more to India’s growth story and pioneer healthcare for everyone, everywhere.” said, Vivek Kanade, Managing Director, Siemens Healthcare Private Limited.

According to the Indian government, medical device manufacturing is a priority industry for the flagship ‘Make in India’ initiative. The Department of Pharmaceuticals introduced a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme with the aim to support domestic manufacturing and luring significant investment in the industry. The scheme has given India's goal of becoming a major hub for the production of medical devices the required impetus, and this has been further aided by the investor-friendly initiatives of the Government.

"MAGNETOM Free.Star is a designed-for-purpose scanner that can be deployed to truly improve the lives of people by helping to diagnose and treat the most prevalent diseases. Addressing the need of the hour, it is built on the latest DryCool technology and is virtually helium-free scanner with an ultra-compact footprint that is far easier to install," the company's statement read.